Monthly Archives: August 2011

After Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasalam has finished reciting Surah Al Fatihah, he would recite another surah, which he would sometimes prolong and sometimes shorten, because of traveling or other reasons. But most of the time his recitation would be of medium length. (Provisions for the hereafter, Mukhtasar Zadul Ma’ad)

Ya’la ibn Mumallak said that he asked Umm Salamah about the recitation and prayer of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).

She said: What have you to do with his prayer? He would pray, then sleep as long as he had prayed, till morning. She then described his recitation and did so with an exposition word by word. (pause between each verse)

Recitation in Fajr Prayer

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)
Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 924

Simak asked Jabir b. Samura about the prayer of the Apostle (may peace be upon him). He said: He (the Holy Prophet) shortened the prayer and he did not pray like these people then, and he informed me that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite” Qaf. By the (Glorious) Qur’an,” and a passage of similar length.

Times of the Prayers
Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 10 :: Hadith 516

Narrated Abu Al-Minhal:

Abu Barza said, “The Prophet used to offer the Fajr (prayer) when one could recognize the person sitting by him (after the prayer) and he used to recite between 60 to 100 Ayat (verses) of the Qur’an. He used to offer the Zuhr prayer as soon as the sun declined (at noon) and the ‘Asr at a time when a man might go and return from the farthest place in Medina and find the sun still hot. (The sub-narrator forgot what was said about the Maghrib). He did not mind delaying the ‘Isha prayer to one third of the night or the middle of the night.”

All above mentioned denote the recitation of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasalam in an audible voice in Fajr prayer.

Summary on the sunnah of recitation for Fajr Prayer
1. read in an audible voice
2. Read longer surah.
3. rasulullah sallalhu alaihi wasalam read surah with verses about 40-100.
4. Can read also the end of mufassal with surah in between Al Burooj-Al Hujurat.

Sa’d said, “I used to pray with them a prayer similar to that of Allah’s Apostle (the prayer of Zuhr and ‘Asr) reducing nothing from them. I used to prolong the first two Rakat and shorten the last two Rak’at.” ‘Umar said to Sa’d “This was what we thought about you.”

My father said, “The Prophet in Zuhr prayers used to recite Al-Fatiha along with two other Suras in the first two Rakat: a long one in the first Rak’a and a shorter (Sura) in the second, and at times the verses were audible. In the ‘Asr prayer the Prophet used to recite Al-Fatiha and two more Suras in the first two Rakat and used to prolong the first Rak’a. And he used to prolong the first Rak’a of the Fajr prayer and shorten the second.

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)
Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 911

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in every rak’ah of the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayer about thirty verses and in the last two about fifteen verses or half (of the first rak’ah) and in every rak’ah of the ‘Asr prayer of the first two rak’ahs about fifteen verses and in the last two verses half (of the first ones).

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to recite in the noon and afternoon prayer: “By the Heaven and the Morning Star” (Surah 86) and “By the Heaven , holding mansions of the stars” (Surah 85) and similar surahs of equal length.

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)
Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 908

Abu Qatada reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) led us in prayer and recited in the first two rak’ahs of the noon and afternoon prayers Surat al-Fitiha and two (other) surahs. And he would sometimes recite loud enough for us the verses. He would prolong the first rak’ah more than the second. And he acted similarly in the morning prayer.

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)
Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 910

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: We used to estimate how long Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood in the noon and afternoon prayers, and we estimated hat he stood in the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayer as long as it takes to recite Alif Lam Mim, Tanzil, i. e. as-Sajda. We estimated that he stood half that time in the last two rak’ahs; that he stood in the first two of the afternoon as long as he did in the last two at noon; and in the last two of the afternoon prayer about half that time.

Abu Bakr in his narration has made no mention of Alif Lam Mim, Tanzil, but said: As long as it takes to recite thirty verses.

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)
Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 911

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in every rak’ah of the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayer about thirty verses and in the last two about fifteen verses or half (of the first rak’ah) and in every rak’ah of the ‘Asr prayer of the first two rak’ahs about fifteen verses and in the last two verses half (of the first ones).

We asked Khabbab whether Allah’s Apostle used to recite (the Qur’an) in the Zuhr and the ‘Asr prayers. He replied in the affirmative. We said, “How did you come to know about it?” He said, “By the movement of his beard.”

Summary for quran recitation for Zuhur and Asr
1. Prolong the first rakaah recitation for both zuhur and asr
2. Half of the length for the second rakaah for both zuhur and asr
3. In general to read surah with approximately 30 verses in the first rakaah of zuhur and half of that for the second rakaah
4. To read surah with approximately 15 verses for the first rakaah of asr and half of that for the second rakaah.
5. To read silently

(My mother) Umu-l-Fadl heard me reciting “Wal Mursalati ‘Urfan” (77) and said, “O my son! By Allah, your recitation made me remember that it was the last Sura I heard from Allah’s Apostle. He recited it in the Maghrib prayer. ”

Narrated Sulaiman bin Yasar. So and so used to prolong the first two rakaah of teh Zuhur prayer and shorten the Asr prayer and recite the short surah of Mufassal at Maghrib prayer, its medium surah at the Isha’ prayer, and its long ones at the Fajr prayer. Then Abu Huraira said, I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembles that of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alihi wasalam than this person. (Reported by An Nasai’ with sahih authentic)

Surah of Mufassal
From Surah Al Hujurat to the end.
From Al hujurat to Al Burooj are called Tiwal Mufassal – long detailed
From Al Buruj to Al Bayinnah are called Ausat Mufassal – middle detailed
From Al bayinnah to the end are called – Qisar Mufassal – short detailed

Recitation of long ones in fajr prayer
recitation of middle ones in Isha’ prayer
Recitation of short ones in maghrib prayer is sunna

Aishah narrated, The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasalam recited Surah Al A’raf in maghrib prayer and he divided it in two rakaahs.

Summarry of recitation of surah in Maghrib
1. To generally read the shorter surah of the mufassal from Al Bayinnah to the end
2. To read in an audible voice

Recitation in Isha’ Prayer

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)
Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 936

Jabir reported that Mu’adh b. jabal used to pray with the Apostle (may peace be upon him), then came and led his people in prayer. One night he said the night prayer with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He then came to his people and led them in prayer beginning with Surat al-Baqara. A man turned aside, pronounced the taslim (salutation for concluding the prayer), then prayed alone and departed. The people said to him: Have you become a hypocrite, so and so? He said: I swear by Allah that I have not, but I will certainly go to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and will inform (him) about this. He then came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, we look after camels used for watering and work by day. Mu’idh said the night prayer with you. He then came and began with Surat al-Baqara. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) then turned to Mu’adh and said: Are you there to (put the people) to trial? Recite such and recite such (and such a surah). It is transmitted on the authority of Jabir, as told by Sufyan, that he (the Holy Prophet) had said:” Washshamsi wad Duhaha (surah 91), Wad Duha (Surah 92) and Sabbihis marabbikal A’la (Surah 87)”

The Prophet was on a journey and recited in one of the first two Rakat of the ‘Isha’ prayer “Wat-tini waz-zaituni.” (95)

Summary of recitation in the Isha’ prayer

1. To read the medium length surah for Isha’ prayer
2. To read in an audible voice.

Some hadith reported that surat Al Aaraf, As Safat and Ad Dukhan were also recited in Maghrib prayers. These are long surahs. Long surahs are also recited in Maghrib prayers. Also mu’awwidhatain (Al Falaq and An Nas) wre recited in Fajr prayer, but usually the practice are as described above.